Nayagarh: In a bizarre incident, a newly married groom fled leaving his bride half-way in an auto-rickshaw, just minutes after marriage Thursday.
The incident was reported from Gateri panchayat under Nuagaon block in Nayagarh district. The accused was identified as Manash Kumar Behera (22), a JCB driver.
A case has been registered with Odagaon police following written complaint by the victim.
According to reports, Manash was in love with the young woman of Surukabari village in Gateri panchayat, where he was working as the JCB driver in road construction project.
He promised the girl of marriage and lured her into physical intimacy with him. Later, when the girl insisted for marriage, he began to avoid her and denied marriage.
After coming to know of the matter, locals intervened and informed Manash’s father about the matter. Later, the wedding was conducted in a temple in presence of the locals.
After marriage, locals hired an auto-rickshaw and sent the couple to Manash’s home. However, half-way to the village, Manash convinced the girl that they would stay in a rented house, instead of going to his home.
Later, he stopped the vehicle on the road at Mahipur and left on the pretext of looking for a house on rent, leaving the newly-wed woman on the auto-rickshaw.
However, the newlywed woman and the auto driver were waiting for Manash for hours, but he was not to be seen again.
Being cheated, the girl revealed the whole incident to the auto driver who then informed about it to the locals. The locals again reached the spot and took the woman with them.
Initially, the victim approached the Nuagaon police for registering complaint. As the incident had occurred under Odagaon police limits, the victim along with the villagers lodged the complaint at Odagaon police station.
A case has been registered and a manhunt has been launched to nab Manash, SDPO Narayan Chandra Barik said.